An International Gay Youth Summit recently took place in Tel Aviv, while checking it out online I came across a video blog posted by an American native, now Israeli named Andrew Langenfeld. I googled Andrew and what I found made me think that bringing to you his video blog posts and an interview with Andrew would be interesting. So here it goes…

Who is Andrew Langenfeld and what would you want people to know about him?

This is a difficult question because there are so many sides to Andrew Langenfeld. There is the small-town Midwestern boy who moved across the world to Tel Aviv, Israel to follow his dreams; there is the former college swimmer who founded an outreach and support organization for LGBTQ student-athletes and allies; and finally this passionate guy who fully commits himself to knowing as much about his interests (e.g. musical theatre, foreign languages, religion, swimming, etc.)

Were you always an activist?

I suppose that I always have been an activist, at least in one-way or another. I constantly stood up for the underdog in middle school, but it wasn’t until college that I began to voice my thoughts and become involved in bigger issues. Whether it was advocating for Israel on campus or raising awareness of LGBT athlete issues with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) I became much more involved in my last two-three years of university.

When did you decide to move to Israel?

The first time that I came to Israel was in the summer of 2009 when I swam in the World Maccabiah Games. I never had the opportunity to go on Taglit (Birthright) in college because I was swimming year round and couldn’t take a week off of training, but the Maccabiah Games was an amazing opportunity for me to see Israel. I fell in love immediately and considered making aliyah right after the Games were over BUT, I went back to the US and started working for a sports recruiting firm. From the moment I returned to the US from Israel I constantly thought about all of the amazing places I’d visited, the people I met, and I decided then to look for a way to return. I found a MASA program (Oranim’s Masters in Israel, which is a 1-year masters program in management from NYU-POLY). After 5-months in the program I decided to make aliyah and stay indefinitely.

Tell us more about your organization you founded (Our Group) and is there an Israeli equivalent.

So Our Group is an outreach and support network for LGBT student-athletes and allies. I started building the foundation for the organization in 2007/2008 after I transferred from West Virginia University to Purdue University. I realized in my experience as an out athlete that I was extremely fortunate to have accepting teammates (an also two other out teammates) and that this was something special and unique. I knew that there were other LGBT athletes who did not have a person to open up to about their gender or sexual identities. I wanted to great the structure for other campuses to start support groups and also a way for out athletes to share their stories with other people. Unfortunately, outside of the US there is no other organization similar to Our Group, since organized intercollegiate sports is something quite unique to the US. But, we have worked with the Federation of Gay Games and other LGBTQ sports organizations on different panel discussions and other activism platforms.

How was your experience in the sports world being gay?

I had a very interesting experience. I was closeted until my sophomore year of college (even though I came out to my mom and some friends in high school) but during my freshman year of college I dated a teammate. It was a very difficult experience for me because as a student-athlete, you spend anywhere between 8-10 hours a day with most of your teammates, and hiding something so huge that was right in front of their faces was difficult. Things became even harder after my boyfriend/teammate and I broke up during the NCAA Championship meet my freshman year and we had to be around each other all of the time. After the breakup I came out, but it was a very difficult time in my life. My teammates were supportive and great for the most part, but it was difficult in many ways for me to be out on my team at West Virginia University. I decided to transfer to Purdue University to start my junior year of college and to start with a fresh slate. At Purdue I was completely accepted and never faced any issues being gay on the swim team or within the sports community at school. I feel very blessed to have had such a positive experience, because I know many other athletes who did not have the same positive experience.

You recently took part in the World LGBTQ Youth Leaders Summit in Tel Aviv, how was your experience.

The Summit was quite remarkable in many ways, from the group of participants that were hand picked by the organizing committee, to the workshops/lectures we participated in, to the experiences that we were able to enjoy (e.g. visiting Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, the Knesset, etc.) throughout the weeklong conference. I know that each and every one of us left the summit feeling more empowered and with new skills that we can take back to our home organizations. All of the participants decided at the end of the summit to create a network, which we have named RCAN (Rainbow Coalition and Activists Network) so that we can stay connected and continue the dialogue that we began in Tel Aviv from anywhere around the world.

As an American, what would you say is the state of LGBTQ rights in Israel?

Well, this is a tricky question. Israel is quite a unique country as it is THE Jewish state and several civil functions of society are executed by the Rabbinate. While there is no same-sex marriage (or civil marriage for that matter) in Israel, marriages performed outside of Israel are recognized and receive most of the benefits of marriages performed within Israel (and this includes same-sex marriages.) As I live in Tel Aviv, which is considered by many to be the Gay capital of the Middle East, I do feel that the secular society is supportive of LGBTQ rights and there have been several rights won recently such as the right to adopt and surrogacy for example in different situations. All in all, I see Israel as any other country that is constantly growing and changing in terms of accepted social norms and civil/human rights. I think that secular Israelis are generally progressive and that for a country that is just over 60 years old, there has been a massive amount of progressive legislation that protects its citizens.

And of course, does size matter (in relation to Israel of course)

As the saying goes “it’s not the size that matters, but the way that you use it.” I think that Israel has a LONG history of being pretty good at using it, but we’re currently in a rut. We have a lot of internal issues happening in Israel at the moment whether it be from women being allowed to sing in the army, segregated bus seating in Jerusalem between men and women, cost of living/housing in Israel, and aside from all of that we have external issues with the countries surrounding us. One cannot deny, however, the strength of our army, the scientific and technological developments coming out of our laboratories and from our engineers/scientists—-even with the domestic and international issues that Israel is facing at the moment, we still continue to shine around the world, and that I think is a miracle.

VLOG posts about LGBTQ Youth Summit in Tel Aviv

After a very successful showing in San Francisco of his new documentary ‘Mom, Dad I have something to tell you‘, SDM interviewed Israeli reality TV star Assi Azar

Who is Assi Azar? What would you want people to know about yourself?

mmm well, I am a nice guy… (I think). I am also a TV host. I host the Israeli version of “Big Brother” here. I am also gay, single and looking.

Were you always interested in documentary filmmaking?

No, I wasn’t. When I was asked by the production company to work on a documentary about “coming out” I initially refused. I thought the issue was already covered from all angles, but then after the events at the Gay Youth community centre, in which 2 teens were killed (Read more), I felt like I had to do something for the community and then the ides for “Mom, Dad I have something to tell you” came.

Tell us about “Mom, dad, I have something to tell you” ?

It is a short-form, low-budget documentary, only 45 minutes. It’s a movie made for TV. The idea was to look at “coming out” from the perspective of the parents and what they go through when their children come out of the closet. The documentary is based on my meetings with families who have a gay son or daughter. I also sat and talked to my own parents about my coming out and how it affected them, in order to bring to light to their experience, our experience.

You’ve participated in panel discussions about your movie outside of Israel, tell us about your experience. 

It was amazing, I had so much fun! When we finished shooting the movie, my dream was to show it to as many people as I could, and by traveling with the movie to the states I achieved my dream. Now I want to go to other places in the world too!

Has being Israeli influenced your work?

I am Israeli. I was born here, I grew up here, it is who I am. It has affected, and will affect, everything I’ve done and will do.

You also host the Israeli “Big Brother” what are your thoughts about Israeli reality TV ?

I was basically born out of Reality TV: My first gig was for the host of an Israeli show for youth called EXIT. I was part of “Who Will be The Next Host of EXIT?” and I was chosen out of 15 other candidates, so I have an attachment to reality TV. I really love my job. I also think we are doing an awesome job with Big Brother in Israel, and I hope to be part of this phenomenon for a long time!

Are you working on any other projects, or do you have plans for other projects?

I am now finishing writing my first TV series, 10 episodes of a romantic comedy. I can’t wait to start shooting!

And of course, does Size Matter (in relations to Israel of course) ?

I am a gay man. Of course size matters LOL

“Mom, Dad I have something to tell you” TRAILER

Even though it is his “Photojournalism Behind the Scenes” project that initially caught our attention, Ruben Salvadori has a lot more up his sleeves. His passion for detail and human behavior is portrayed in his various projects. Ruben is a 22yo Italian student from Venice, that decided to take on the Israel experience, in so many ways! We caught up with Ruben, and suggest you follow the work of this young talented individual.

Who is Ruben Salvadori?

Some Italian dude I’ve heard about.
He spent the last four years in Jerusalem where he graduated from the Hebrew University in Anthropology/Sociology and International Relations. He uses visual media to satisfy his curiosity towards human behaviour, culture and tradition.

Were you always interested in Journalism/Photography? If so, what sparked it?

I wasn’t always. When I was young, I was interested more in travelling. Since childhood I’ve been exposed to a wide range of cultures and I think this is what made my interest for anthropology grow. For me, photography is just a way to approach other groups of people, a medium through which I can explore and experience their stories. With regard to journalism, I’m interested in it as a topic but not necessarily in doing it for a living – at least not anymore, since I’ve observed how the Media really works. I’m more interested in documentary photography than photojournalism because in my opinion, the latter plays on a more superficial level of the story and does not search deep into the essence of an issue, which is exactly what I would like to portray.

You seem to connect your academic background to your photography, how does this affect your work?

My academic background (especially my education in Anthropology and Sociology) is the basis of my visual research. It completely shapes my work in that I can gain a better understanding of an issue through empirical research, field work techniques, and by approaching items with a critical eye. I may have never embarked on a project such as Photojournalism Behind the Scenes without my academic background – it essentially pushed me to question “taken for granted” concepts and allowed me to analyze them further.

Why Israel?

I just wanted to be somewhere interesting while attending a good university; there was no particular religious or ideological reason. It was definitely the best choice I could make since my time in Israel gave me the chance to add a huge amount of experience I couldn’t get in other places.

Being Italian, has it been easy for you to fit in? Do you see similarities between the two people?

It wasn’t hard to fit in, I met very friendly people and many Israelis that are like Italians (except when we take over the beaches in Tel Aviv). There are an infinite amount of jokes you can make about us, and if a discussion takes a serious direction, you can always pop in a comment about Berlusconi and save the situation with some laughs. Yes, There are some similarities: for example, we both use our hands a lot to talk – just don’t gesture to an Italian to wait the way you do in Israel or you’ll have a hard time explaining that it doesn’t mean “what the hell do you want?”

How have you incorporated your interest in religious rituals into your projects in Israel ?

Israel provided me with a rich playground to practice my visual research because it is so densely full of religious characteristics. I am not religious but I am fascinated by all the religious facets that are shown in people’s daily lives. In Israel, I had many chances to incorporate this interest by documenting Christian, Muslim and Jewish rituals throughout the year.

You’ve also covered the Jerusalem pride parade in 2010, in addition to your exhibition called “Queens of Jerusalem.” That’s quite a contrast to your other photos, can you tell us about that?

I know it may appear like it contrasts with my previous projects but I feel that it doesn’t at all. My main interest is in human behaviour and this ranges from the ultra-orthodox and highly traditional sides of a society to its more transgressive and underground aspects. Contrary to the mainstream visual ideal about Israel, it is not always the typical image of a guy with peyot or of a Palestinian throwing a rock. There are many other different and interesting groups here that have greatly interested me. My work Queens of Jerusalem shows the faces of those who represent this marginalized group and is part of an ongoing project on the sociological concept of stigma. It was a very fun and interesting shoot and I felt privileged that my subjects allowed me to enter their intimate lives. I was able to get a very in-depth understanding of what it is like to be a drag queen in such a traditional city like Jerusalem.

Are there projects (from Israel) that you are especially proud of?

Although it does not contain my best looking photographs, I think the project Photojournalism Behind the Scenes marked a great personal growth within the photographic world. Visually researching on the photojournalistic experience gave me a better understanding on how the Media market works. It really convinced me to leave the journalistic track and to create a documentary with a more in-depth approach.

As a photographer/Artist do you feel a cultural renaissance in Jerusalem?

Jerusalem is very active when it comes to its cultural and artistic side. There are many interesting people with great ideas, and this helped me a lot with experimenting in various fields and gathering different perspectives to improve my work and knowledge. I am from Venice, which despite being beautiful is very flat and boring when it comes to cultural events and people’s interests; therefore, it was a pleasure to get a sense of Jerusalem’s rich culture during my stay.

On a lighter note, what is your favorite city / place (gallery, restaurant, bar…) in Israel ?

Considering that I came to Israel to study, I think Jerusalem was an ideal place to stay because I was able to experience an interesting environment without having too much distraction from my studies. I also enjoyed Tel Aviv for its artistic and underground world but I doubt my experience would have been as worthwhile if I had stayed there instead.

Below a couple of his Multimedia projects

Tales of a Ritual – Trailer from Ruben Salvadori on Vimeo.

For More of his Video projects, check out his VIMEO Channel here

You can also check out his blog @ www.rubensalvadori.com

He just got back from Italy, bringing pride to the fashion world in Israel. Niran has just won the Diesel award at the ITS#TEN Fashion competition in Italy, he is the second Israeli to win, an Israeli is also the first ever winner of the award (10 years ago) Niran is a graduate of Shenkar College in Israel, an internationally renowned Fashion School. We caught up with this up and coming designer, check it out…

How would you describe your style of designing, what makes it different?

I believe that garments should speak for themselves. I like to take old garments/designs and combine them to make new creations. I am not afraid to mix different styles and gender specific patterns/Garments. My designs are gender neutral.

Who are some designers that have influenced your work?

I appreciate all creativity coming out of the Fashion world. Some of the designers that have influenced my work include Raf Simons, Tom Browns and

You went to Shenkar College, a school that is praised internationally, how was that ?

Shenkar is a very good but tough school. We are lucky to have teachers from around the world. What differentiates us from other schools is the high level of technical teaching which makes bringing a drawing come to life easier.

Does being Israeli influence the type of work you produce? how so?

I am very proud of my Israeli heritage, however, I feel more like a Tel Avivi (From Tel Aviv) My designs aren’t necessarily Israeli, but my work process is very much so. I am not attached to my materials, I am not afraid to ruin a “finished” design. I think that derives from the Israeli mentality of being somewhat detached. “Here today, gone tomorrow”

You’ve recently competed at an international event, how were you received as an Israeli?

I received a very warm welcome from all attendees, people were very friendly, especially the Italians who are very similar to Israelis in many ways (Stubbornness, informality, rudness etc…) lol

What was your first reaction when they announced your name as the winner of the Diesel Award @ the ITS#TEN Fashion competition in Italy goes to ?

Screaming, Screaming, Screaming and Screaming… I was overwhelmed. It was a dream come true, as a starving artist I never could imagine getting to this point, but it’s here! And I will take advantage of every second!

Would you consider Tel Aviv A fashionable city ?

Yes, very much so. Unfortunately Tel Aviv is a small city, not enough for a brand to become grand. TLV is really the only place in Israel where fashion plays an integral part in people’s daily life. Israelis know their History, but there is no Fashion History, we know about where we came from, but not what we wore, I think that’s sad.

Some Fashion advice for those visiting Israel ? (Stores, areas etc…)

Gan Ha’hashmal, Kikar Masari both include boutique of independent Israeli designers. Another big trend is 2nd hand stores. They are popping up all over the city.

And of course, Does size matter? (…in regards to Israel of course)

Of course Size Matters, however, As a small country, Israel has contributed a lot to Fashion and design, so I guess some good things come in small packages.

CHECK OUT SOME OF HIS PIECES @ ITS#TEN (1:36)

WINNER ANNOUNCED AT ITS#TEN COMPETITION

 GENTLEMEN EVOLUTION – FINAL PROJECT BY NIRAN AVISAR

His goal was picked up by Yahoo Sports and selected as 1 of the top 5 Goals of the year (Check it out here). A native Israeli, Eliezer now lives in Montreal and recently signed his first Pro-Hockey contract.

We caught up with Eliezer and are excited to bring to you this interview.

At what age did you start playing hockey?

I started to skate before I ever played hockey. I started skating at the age of 6 with my mother who is a professional power skating coach. I started to play hockey when I was 7.

Israel is not known for its hockey culture… why did your parents decide to enroll you in Hockey when you were a kid?

It was always my fathers dream to come to Canada. Moving from Russia and Israel was very hard for my parents. But, my father really liked hockey, and he wanted me to be like #10 from the Montreal Canadians, “Guy Lafleur”.

You live in Montreal… have you ever practiced in Israel? If so, what do you think of the rink?

The ice rink in Israel is very nice. I think people should get involved and help build more ice rinks in Israel to grow hockey there.

There are several former Canadian coaches that have coached or run hockey camps in Israel… were you ever involved ?

Yes, I help players in Israel and other Israeli players when they come to Canada, I try to help as much as possible, I wish I had more time, playing Elite Hockey can be time consuming.

Do you think there is a hockey culture in Israel? If so, do you think it has potential to grow ?

Israeli hockey has alot of potential. There are many good players that need training. We will get there soon, and I will do my best to help.

You currently play in a Quebec league… do your teammates know you are Israeli ?

Yes, all of my teammates know that I am Israeli. I am a proud Israeli and I will never hide my nationality and my place of birth. I thank Israel for all the support it has given me over the years.

Were you excited to find out that your goal made it to YAHOO Sports Annual Top 5 Goals (Watch here) ? Have you practiced that move before? Or was it improvised ?

Of course, I was very excited. I forgot about that goal, because it was done in April, but when I saw it on Yahoo, I was pretty happy to see that someone posted it. I hope to win! Yes, I do practice moves ahead of time but I like to be creative, that specific move came instinctively at that moment.

Recently, the 11-12 year old Israeli hockey team won the world championships… How do you think they did it ? (Read here)

The reason those kids won is because we Israelis never give up! This is true in every situation we have faced as a people. They were the underdog team, but they still managed to win. We have the will to get better and to help each other, and to compete against the best nations in the world. And, we will succeed.

You’ve just signed your first professional contract… how does it feel ?

Well I feel very good! My hard work and patience have payed off. I’ve been training hard since the first day I put my skates on.

Is the NHL next ?

The NHL is always next. I never count it out. I can make it. Just got to push in the same direction I’ve been pushing all my life and I will succeed. But if I stay and play in Europe for the rest of my carreer, it will be as much success. My carreer is finally starting.

What was you favorite hockey team growing up ?

My favorite hockey team was always the Detroit Red Wings.

Of course, does SIze Matter ? (In terms of Israel being such a small country and contributing so much, and you, being 5’7, how does that translate on the ice ?)

Israeli hockey will always get bigger and bigger. For the amount of players in Israel and the 1 rink that we have, we did more than anyone can imagine in terms of hockey. We went to division #1 in seniors. We won medals in under 18 and seniors. I am very confident that we will get bigger. As for my size… I will not get any taller, but my heart is bigger then any 6’5 player out there! My size dosen’t matter when I step on the ice.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us ?

To finish I would like to thank, my mother, Anna Sherbatov, my father, Alex Sherbatov, my brothers, Yoni and Boris, my agent, Daniel Smajovits, Angelo Lazarra and Somaly.

After playing at PRIDE Toronto, Israeli DJ Ronen Mizrahi fell in love with the city, and the city fell in love with his beats!

We caught up with Ronen, below a short interview, A video from his performance in Brazil and a few links to his beats!

How would you describe your style of mixing, what makes it different?

My music style is more progressive, house and tech tribal. I honestly cannot tell what makes it different but I believe in my own productions and live by my own sound. I stick with my own style, I did not really change to the ‘electro’ sound. I think that is what attracts the world’s biggest DJs and music producers, plus it is working really well on the dance floor. My sounds are more like sexy dark beats which make them different from most music these days.

Who are some of the artists/DJs that have influenced your music?

I am most influenced by Tristan Garner as well as Victor Calderone from his days of the Roxy NYC. Other artists or DJs that I draw inspiration from are Etienne Ozbnorne, Chus and Ceballos. I take a little from each artist and make it my own sound.

Where is your favourite place to play?

My favourite places to play are in Israel, Brazil, Spain, Mexico and now Toronto. I loved playing in Toronto for my first time here at Pride. I really enjoyed the crowd; it was great, they are nice people who love to party.

Does being Israeli influence the type of music you produce? how so?

Actually, I really like Israeli producers because they really have the right sounds and beats. Although to be honest, all my influence came from NYC and I am really thankful and owe that to NYC.

How are you received internationally?

Internationally, I am really enjoying the way the crowd and people are accepting of me with lots of respect, good vibes and energy. People abroad provide great support, so I have not experienced any bad energy yet from my traveling and hope I will not in the future.

You were recently in Toronto, how was your experience? Did you get to visit the city?

I am totally in love with Toronto!!! I really love everything about it! Its the people, city, the streets. It is also the way the people here react to my music because they are very supportive and have lots of great energy. I do not get to visit much but next time I hope to stay longer and take in a city tour!

Would you consider Tel Aviv’s nightlife comparable to that of big cities like New York, Barcelona etc… ?

Tel Aviv’s nightlife has really been getting bigger for the last few years. It is not NYC yet but it holds its own in terms of big parties and huge tourism from all over the world. Gay pride this year was one of the biggest ever in Tel Aviv. I am really happy for and proud of my country.

And of course, Does size matter? (…in regards to Israel of course)

Honestly SIZE does matter, bigger is better, but in some rare cases, like Israel, IT DOESN’T MATTER. I actually prefer those rare cases. Israel is amazing!

VIDEO FROM HIS PERFORMANCE IN BRAZIL

Some links

ITUNES CHANNEL: http://www.itunes.com/ronenmizrahi

BEAT PORT: http://www.beatport.com/artist/ronen+miz…

MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/ronenmizrahimusic

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/DJRonenMizrahi

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